Top 10 Latinos in health care

Latino Leaders: The National Magazine of the Successful American Latino, April-May, 2004

Americans are getting wealthier and older, and that can only be good news for anyone who wants a career in the trillion-dollar, rapidly growing health care industry.

Hospitals, insurance companies, dentists, medical research institutes, and alternative medicine organizations are all actively head hunting experienced qualified staff.

For Latinos, half of who are under 18 years old, the future looks bright for those who choose to work in this money-dripping sector, Latino Leaders offers a brief snapshot of some of the prestigious fields where notable Hispanics have made their presence felt.

Our Top 10 Latinos in the health care industry cover physicians, CEOs, and heads of public service bodies. Castulo de la Rocha heads a non-profit community health clinic, while Belinda Martinez is a senior vice president of a dental firm whose 21 million clients live in 10 states. Eva Moya, in turn is an expert in her own field, being the executive director of the United States-Mexico Border Health Commission.

All of these men and women are Latino leaders and symbolic of the future for Hispanics that this industry offers.

Richard H. Carmona Surgeon General of the United States

Born and raised in New York City's Spanish Harlem, Dr. Carmona dropped out of high school and enlisted in the US Army in 1967. Having grown up in poverty and been exposed to violence, Vice Admiral Carmona has recognized that the army pulled him away from crime As part of the Army's Special Forces, he became a combat-decorated Vietnam veteran and began his career in medicine.

After leaving active duty, he studied medicine and held various positions in the medical field, including paramedic, registered nurse, and physician. He has also served as a medical director of police and fire departments and is a fully qualified peace officer with expertise in special operations and emergency preparedness, including weapons of mass destruction, Carmona has been honored with many awards and decorations both for his medical services and his work as a SWAT leader, such as two Purple Hearts and the Police Medal of Honor.

Carmona has always been a strong supporter of community services, and, upon his appointment as surgeon general, he said that it was a primary mission for him to fight cultural and racial disparities in supplying health care.

Richard D. Cordova Regional President of Kaiser Foundation Health Plan

Growing up in East Los Angeles, where he pumped gas at his father's station, Cordova now oversees 45,000 health care employees across Southern California. Kaiser Permanente is the largest nonprofit health plan in the US. Kaiser is also a supporter of national legislation to assure appropriate access to medical services.

Cordova earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from USC and an MBA from Pepperdine University. Before serving in his present position, he had managed the Los Angeles County General Hospital, which serves the poorest people in Los Angeles, and had been the executive administrator for the Community Health Network of San Francisco and CEO of the San Francisco General Hospital. Cordova still has a strong community involvement through Kaiser, which strives to offer affordable and quailed overall health care and assistance to the uninsured and special population. Kaiser Permanente also participates in health professionals training and tries to make health delivery methods more effective.

Cordova is a member of a great number of community boards and health care associations.

Belinda Martinez Senior Vice President of Delta Dental Insurance

Cuban born Belinda Martinez came to the United States aged five as a refugee and today is a top ranker in one of the largest dental HMOs in the nation, as well as for Delta Dental Insurance Company, which operates in ten states. Both are affiliated with Delta Dental of California and its 16-state holding company that collectively provides dental benefits to more than 21 million people as a nonprofit organization regulated by the California Department of Managed Health Care.

PMI has over one million enrollees in eight states: California, Utah, Florida, Georgia, Nevada, New York, Pennsylvania, and Texas. Its parent company, Delta Dental Plan of California, is the largest state dental plan. Delta Dental Plan has an extended coverage and the largest dentist network nationwide.

Several state and federal government programs are administered at this center. The company participates in several programs that promote dental health and help children to get dental senates even when they lack both private insurance and eligibility for government health benefits. Delta also sponsors dental education and issues annual dental research.

J. Mario Molina President of Molina Healthcare, Inc

J. Mario Molina, MD, is president of Molina Healthcare, Inc. His father, Dr. C. David Molina, founded the company in 1980 to address the special needs of low-income patients. After his father's death in 1996, Dr. J. Mario Molina assumed leadership of Molina Healthcare, keeping alive the tradition of its commitment to physician management--a rarity among health plans.